1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the disclosure relate in general to the field of computers and similar technologies, and in particular to software utilized in this field. Still more particularly, it relates to determining the behavioral mood of an electronic messaging system user.
2. Description of the Related Art
An instant messaging system (IMS) provides a simple way to exchange real-time, text-based messages between users who are connected to on-line or electronic networking environments such as the Internet, intranets, and extranets. These systems, which have gained popularity due to their simplicity and ease of use, require both sender and recipient to be simultaneously logged-on to exchange messages. To send an IMS message, a user generally logs on with an IMS client, selects one or more recipients from an address book of other IMS users that are indicated to be on-line, and then composes and sends their message.
One issue with IMS systems is the inability to determine a user's mood. Current approaches to this issue include the user applying emoticons or icons within the text of the message to indicate their mood or disposition. However, this can be problematic, as the emoticon or icon may not accurately portray the user's actual mood. This misdirection may be intentional or unintentional. Regardless, the indication of the user's actual mood is inaccurate which can lead to misunderstandings and other communication issues between messaging system users. In addition, it is generally not possible to determine the mood of a user prior to establishing a message session. For example, if it were possible to indicate that the intended recipient of a message is currently angry or in a bad mood, the message originator could decide to postpone the messaging session. Currently, this is not possible.
Various approaches exist for the autodetermination of a user's changing mood through the collection, analysis and correlation of behavioral biometrics. As an example, a user's mood can be ascertained by analyzing the pressure applied to the keys of a touch-sensitive keyboard, their typing speed and patterns, and the pauses between words. These behavioral biometrics can also be combined with other biometrics, such as skin temperature, heart rate, and other biophysical factors, thus deriving their mood. In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous if these approaches to mood determination could be used by messaging clients to improve the interaction between messaging system users.